Are the risk factors for long COVID related to the risk factors for COVID?

Last update: Monday 11/14/22 

This note briefly summarizes well known patterns of risk for severe illness and death from COVID that have been true for all of its variants. It then identifies patterns in the dysfunctions inflicted on COVID survivors that have been identified in a wave of recent large-scale studies of long COVID. These studies seem to suggest that those who at risk for the most severe disruptions in their lives from long COVID are the same persons who are the most at risk for severe illness and death from COVID.

The editor of this blog is a data analyst, not a bioscience expert; so he can only identify findings that "seem to" suggest similar risk factors. If true, however, these similarities would remove much of the mystery and scariness of long COVID. It isn't an unknown random scourge; it's the devil we already know 

Risk factors for COVID 

By now everybody knows, or should know, that the persons most at risk of severe illness and/or death from COVID are persons in the oldest age groups and persons who have underlying health conditions (comorbidities), e.g., immunocompromised, diabetes, etc.

Fortunately, our vaccines continue to yield dramatic reductions in the severity of illness and death among these groups ... but conversely, our vaccines have resulted in little or no reduction in severe illness and death among persons in the youngest age groups who do not have underlying health conditions. Why? Because their youth already provides them with substantial protection. Indeed, the highest incidence of asymptomatic infections occurs among the youngest members of our communities.

CDC data that supports these assertions can be found in the following note on this blog ==> "COVID FAQs" ... This reference page presents four FAQs about COVID that everyone should have at their fingertips. Updated every month.

Risk factors for long COVID 

The following reference page on this blog provides links to nine recent large scale studies of long COVID and a chart that is designed to help its readers identify the most important findings on which these studies seem to agree or disagree. Last update: 11/2/22 ==> "Long COVID Chart"

As the readers who examine the chart will discover, there is considerable agreement among these studies that the following risk factors for severe illness and death from COVID are also associated with the most disruptive occurrences of long COVID among COVID survivors. Readers should note that none of these studies were comprehensive, i.e., none of them systematically addressed all risk factors and all preventions related to all risk factors.

• Age -- Five studies found that older persons were more likely to develop long COVID than younger persons.
  
  
• Health conditions -- Three studies found persons with health conditions that made them vulnerable to COVID were more likely to experience long COVID/
  
  
• Severity of COVID -- Four studies found that persons who were more at risk and therefore experienced more severe COVID infections were also more likely to experience more severe long COVID. Indeed, one study found no development of long COVID among persons who had experienced no symptoms, i.e., persons who had been asymptomatic.
  

Two COVID preventions were investigated: vaccines and Paxlovid

• Three studies examined the effectiveness of COVID vaccines in preventing long COVID. One found that vaccines yielded a modest 15 percent reduction in the subsequent incidence of long COVID among COVID survivors; the second found a stronger reduction; and the third estimated a 79 percent reduction 
  
  
• Only one study investigated the effectiveness of Paxlovid, the drug that substantially reduces severe illness and death among infected persons who are most vulnerable to COVID. This study estimated that Paxlovid yielded a 26 percent reduction in the subsequent development of long COVID among the most vulnerable COVID survivors.